 Map showing the location of Rapidum, south of Icosium (present-day Algiers) | |
  Shown within Algeria | |
| Location | Algeria |
|---|---|
| Region | Médéa Province |
| Coordinates | 36°08′00″N3°26′00″E / 36.13333°N 3.43333°E /36.13333; 3.43333 |
Rapidum was aRomansettlement andfort located inMauretania Caesariensis, nearly 100 km south ofIcosium (Algiers).[1]
The Romans built a fort in what is nowSour Djouab (south of present-dayAlgiers) during the first century of their rule in Mauretania betweenCastellum Tingitanum (El Asnam) andAuzia[2] (Sour el Ghozlane), in order to expand their control of the interior of the region.[3] Soon underHadrian near the fort grew up a civilian settlement called "Rapidum", on the Roman road called theNova Praetentura, which connectedNumidia withMauretania Tingitana and passed through Rapidum.
The original castrum of Rapidum remained until 201 AD, while the town survived until emperorAurelian when it was destroyed by Berber nomads. The later emperorDiocletian rebuilt it during the late 3rd century with huge buildings which lasted until theArab invasions.
There are two distinct parts to Rapidum: the camp and the town. The camp is rectangular with rounded corners. It dates to 122 AD(CIL VIII, 20833). The enceinte is made of two ashlar walls enclosing interior rubble fill. It is reinforced by towers standing on either side of the four gates, one on each side of the camp. The praetorium is located at the intersection of the decumanus and the cardo. It measures 28 x 24.5 m and, in accordance with the classic plan, has three parts... Five rooms open on this hall, all scholae, except for the middle one, which ended in an apse and must have been a chapel for the standards. Some meters south of the praetorium, a huge building may have served as a stable. Close by and to the south stands another large building, presumably the commander's residence (27 x 19.5 m); small private baths and seven rooms are arranged around a court. The rest of the camp was occupied by barracks and standard baths. Of note is a curious relief depicting the salutatio, encased in the west gate.The town, contiguous to the camp on the south side (but not on the W), is itself surrounded by ramparts, built in 167 AD Princeton E.
The initial garrison of Rapidum fort was – according to historian M. Ruiu – theCohors II Sardorum and protected the newlimes of theRoman Empire moved south from the Mediterranean shores to a military road calledNova Praetentura. This road went from Rapidum nearNumidia toAltava and toNumerus Syrorum at the border ofMauretania Tingitana.[4]
Rapidum was named "municipium"[5] and had an extension of 15 hectares underMarcus Aurelius (with nearly 4,000 inhabitants, mostlyromanised Berbers, like Auzia).
The city was later destroyed byBerber rebellions, butDiocletian restored the city that had even hugeRomanthermae. Pieces of colossal statues of Jupiter and Minerva suggest the existence of a "Capitol". There also undoubtedly was a temple to Ceres.
The fort was abandoned around 325 AD, while the city remained some centuries more (even if it never fully recovered).
Rapidum was conquered by theVandals and later reduced to a small village, probably Christian (atAïn Tamda, just west of Rapidum ruins, a group of Christian buildings (church andmonastery) has been excavated)- was occupied by the Romano–BerberKingdom of Altava in the 6th century. It disappeared with theMuslim conquest of the Maghreb in the 7th century. Today only some ruins remain, excavated in the 1920s by theFrench colonists.[6]
Rapidum was center of an ancientbishopric and remains atitular see[7] of theRoman Catholic Church[8] in the province ofMauretania Caesariensis.
Bishops
Romano-Berber cities in Roman North Africa | ||
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Sorted by contemporary national borders | ||
| Morocco | %2c_Algeria_04966r.jpg) | |
| Algeria |
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| Related articles | ||
1 UNESCO World Heritage Sites2 Proposed | ||
